Texas 2013 83rd Regular

Texas Senate Bill SB1082 Comm Sub / Bill

                    83R27867 NC-D
 By: Rodriguez, et al. S.B. No. 1082
 (Zerwas)
 Substitute the following for S.B. No. 1082:  No.


 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 AN ACT
 relating to eligibility requirements for certain applicants for a
 license to practice medicine.
 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 SECTION 1.  Subsection (b), Section 154.006, Occupations
 Code, is amended to read as follows:
 (b)  A profile must contain the following information on each
 physician:
 (1)  the name of each medical school attended and the
 dates of:
 (A)  graduation; or
 (B)  Fifth Pathway designation and completion of
 the Fifth Pathway Program;
 (2)  a description of all graduate medical education in
 the United States or Canada;
 (3)  the number of attempts taken by the physician to
 pass each part of the licensing examination required under Section
 155.051;
 (4)  any specialty certification held by the physician
 and issued by a medical licensing board that is a member of the
 American Board of Medical Specialties or the Bureau of Osteopathic
 Specialists;
 (5) [(4)]  the number of years the physician has
 actively practiced medicine in:
 (A)  the United States or Canada; and
 (B)  this state;
 (6) [(5)]  the name of each hospital in this state in
 which the physician has privileges;
 (7) [(6)]  the physician's primary practice location;
 (8) [(7)]  the type of language translating services,
 including translating services for a person with impairment of
 hearing, that the physician provides at the physician's primary
 practice location;
 (9) [(8)]  whether the physician participates in the
 Medicaid program;
 (10) [(9)]  a description of any conviction for a
 felony, a Class A or Class B misdemeanor, or a Class C misdemeanor
 involving moral turpitude;
 (11) [(10)]  a description of any charges reported to
 the board to which the physician has pleaded no contest, for which
 the physician is the subject of deferred adjudication or pretrial
 diversion, or in which sufficient facts of guilt were found and the
 matter was continued by a court;
 (12) [(11)]  a description of any disciplinary action
 against the physician by the board;
 (13) [(12)]  a description of any disciplinary action
 against the physician by a medical licensing board of another
 state;
 (14) [(13)]  a description of the final resolution
 taken by the board on medical malpractice claims or complaints
 required to be opened by the board under Section 164.201;
 (15) [(14)]  whether the physician's patient service
 areas are accessible to disabled persons, as defined by federal
 law;
 (16) [(15)]  a description of any formal complaint
 against the physician initiated and filed under Section 164.005 and
 the status of the complaint; and
 (17) [(16)]  a description of any medical malpractice
 claim against the physician, not including a description of any
 offers by the physician to settle the claim, for which the physician
 was found liable, a jury awarded monetary damages to the claimant,
 and the award has been determined to be final and not subject to
 further appeal.
 SECTION 2.  Section 155.051, Occupations Code, is amended by
 adding Subsections (d) and (e) to read as follows:
 (d)  The time frame to pass each part of the examination does
 not apply to an applicant who:
 (1)  is licensed and in good standing as a physician in
 another state;
 (2)  has been licensed for at least five years;
 (3)  does not hold a medical license in the other state
 that has or has ever had any restrictions, disciplinary orders, or
 probation; and
 (4)  will practice in a medically underserved area or a
 health manpower shortage area, as those terms are defined by
 Section 157.052.
 (e)  The board may by rule establish a process to verify that
 a person, after meeting the requirements of Subsection (d),
 practices only in an area described by Subsection (d)(4).
 SECTION 3.  Section 155.056, Occupations Code, is amended by
 amending Subsections (a) and (d) and adding Subsection (e) to read
 as follows:
 (a)  An applicant must pass:
 (1)  each individual part of an examination within five
 [three] attempts; and
 (2)  all parts of an examination collectively within
 nine attempts.
 (d)  The limitation on examination attempts by an applicant
 under Subsection (a) does not apply to an applicant who:
 (1)  is licensed and in good standing as a physician in
 another state;
 (2)  has been licensed for at least five years;
 (3)  does not hold a medical license in the other state
 that has, or has ever had, any restrictions, disciplinary orders,
 or probation; and
 (4)  will practice in a medically underserved area or
 health manpower shortage area, as those terms are defined by
 Section 157.052 [passed all but one part of the examination
 approved by the board within three attempts and:
 [(A)     passed the remaining part of the examination
 within one additional attempt; or
 [(B)     passed the remaining part of the examination
 within six attempts if the applicant:
 [(i)     is specialty board certified by a
 specialty board that:
 [(a)     is a member of the American Board
 of Medical Specialties; or
 [(b)     is approved by the American
 Osteopathic Association; and
 [(ii)     has completed in this state an
 additional two years of postgraduate medical training approved by
 the board].
 (e)  The board may by rule establish a process to verify that
 a person who, after meeting the requirements of Subsection (d),
 practices only in an area described by Subsection (d)(4).
 SECTION 4.  Sections 155.0045 and 155.056(c), Occupations
 Code, are repealed.
 SECTION 5.  The changes in law made by this Act governing the
 eligibility of a person for a license to practice medicine under
 Chapter 155, Occupations Code, apply only to an application for a
 license filed on or after the effective date of this Act. An
 application filed before the effective date of this Act is governed
 by the law in effect immediately before that date, and that law is
 continued in effect for that purpose.
 SECTION 6.  This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
 a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
 provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution.  If this
 Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
 Act takes effect September 1, 2013.